I vividly remember the first Sunday morning I woke up in my dorm room. I had moved in five days ago at that point, but for some reason, that Sunday morning has stuck with me. I was sleepy and still in shock that I was a Texas resident. 

On that Sunday before classes started, I realized something, and I think you will realize it pretty quickly, too. 

There is so much time available to you in college. So much. Especially between the day you move in and the day classes start. There’s a lot of downtime. And even once classes start, I think you will find that you have more time than you imagined—and you don’t have to check in with anyone or tell your parents your every move. Total freedom. 

As you explore and meet new people and begin this new chapter, there will be downtime. 

And at times, it can feel like a lot. 

Do not fear it—do not fear being alone. I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum in college. In some seasons I had completely overextended myself and was involved in way too many things—saying yes to every opportunity, coffee date, and extracurricular. But I also found myself on the other end in the transition. 

In the beginning, I had way too much free time on my hands. I mean… I only had to be in class 15 hours a week? And the other 153 hours I could do whatever I wanted? Go wherever I wanted? Unheard of. A totally new concept to me. And perhaps it’s new for you, too.

I would encourage you to find something you are passionate about—a student ministry, a club or intramural sports team, an organization on campus—and say yes to one thing. Jump in. Meet people, hang out with those people, fully commit. If you don’t like it at the end of the semester—if you’re not learning or growing—prayerfully consider if it’s time to say goodbye to that thing. 

It’s okay to say no, to choose to leave something behind. There’s deep a pressure in our culture to never quit, to push through, and get every job done. While the attitude of preserving can certainly be healthy, there’s a point where you must decide what is healthy and helpful for you in each season—and seasons change. 

As the days and semesters go on, you will find that you have a lot of choices. 

A lot of choices to do this, or do that. 

A lot of choices to hang out with these people, or those.

A lot of choices to spend your time here, or there. 

Whatever you choose, whatever you do, be intentional. The choices you make every day make up your life. They become your life. 

You will get to make choices about what you do with your time—what organizations and clubs to join, which people to hang out with. But you will also have choices with your time that extend far beyond what you’re physically doing and that tend to the state of your heart. 

For far too long in college, I avoided a lot of heavy things in my life I didn’t even realize were raising red flags and warning signs left and right. I was hardly living at all when I got to the end of my rope. I had a breaking point, and everything seemed to crumble. When I got to the end of myself—the end of what I thought would be fulfilling—want to know what I found? 

Grace. 

So much grace. 

Not shame or “I told you so’s” or anger. Just so much grace that it took me to a whole new level of loving and seeking Jesus.

 I bring up the end of my frayed, thinning rope because I stood at a crossroads I think many of us approach at one point or another: am I going to choose God, healing, grace, love, and peace? Or am I going to pretend I was never at this intersection and try to rebirth my rope on my own, avoiding deeper hurts and heartache with a busy schedule? 

Time is a gift. And the space you have in college—to do quite literally anything you want—is one of the sweetest gifts. What are you going to run after? What are you going to fill your time with? Who are you going to fill your time with? These are important questions because the answers lead to choices, and the choices will make up your life. Of course, we are not defined by our mistakes or by decisions (hello, grace!). But our decisions do make up our reality, and oftentimes, our relationships.

Some questions to explore in this season of transition:

• What habits, rhythms, and values are you going to invest in? 

• What will be a helpful and fulfilling use of your time in this season?

• What relationships are worth investing in right now?

• Who do you want to be in 4 years from now, and what rhythms can help you start moving towards that person today?

• How can you use this time wisely for your emotional health? For your mental health? What about spiritual and physical health?

There might seem like a lot of ways to tackle college, but really it comes down to the ways of the world vs. the ways of the Spirit. There’s a lot of change and potentially emotion coming your way. That’s nothing to be afraid of—that is normal. 

No matter how it feels right now, in this moment, it will be okay. I repeat, it will be okay. Take a look deep inside and consider how these four years could help you continue to grow, heal, and flourish. The beauty of it is that it’s up to you. You will get out what you put in—in all areas of life. 

I’m so excited for you to begin this journey. It’s truly a season unlike any other. God always has a plan for you—and especially at such a time as this.